A 17-member full bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday night released detailed judgement on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) review petition and directed federal and provincial governments to provide all assistance to the courts in prosecution of the culprits, who benefited from this law.
Former President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf issued the NRO in 2007. It granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money laundering, murder and terrorism. It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2009.
The Supreme Court on December 16, 2009, had passed the judgement that declared the NRO as unconstitutional and a ‘black law’.
The government had filed a review petition against this order, which was also dismissed on November 26, 2011 by a short order. Now the apex court had given its detailed verdict.
Justice Tassadaq Hussain Jilani drafted the 31-page detailed judgement, reviving all corruption cases and cancellation of all benefits accrued under the ‘black law’.
The court said in its judgement that the federal counsel was heard but he failed to give arguments to build the case for a review of certain aspects of SC’s December 16, 2009 decision on the NRO and parliament also did not validate it.
All the concerned courts including the trial, appellate and review courts, have been ordered to summon the persons accused in such cases and then to proceed in the respective matters in accordance with law from the stage from where such proceedings had been brought to an end in pursuance of the above provisions of the NRO. The federal government, all the provincial governments and all relevant and competent authorities including the NAB prosecutor general, the special prosecutors in various accountability courts, the prosecutors generals in the four provinces and other officers or officials involved in the prosecution of criminal offenders have been directed to offer every possible assistance required by the competent courts in the said connection.
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